When you go out for lunch or dinner, it’s a good idea to check your bill carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises. This is what happened to two Mallorcans at a restaurant in Puerto Pollensa: when they looked at the bill, they saw that they had been charged 2 euros for ‘no starter’. The couple went to the restaurant on Sunday at midday and ordered two main courses (lamb and chicken), two bread rolls and two drinks. ‘We asked for the bill, paid, and when we looked at the receipt, my companion realised that we had been charged for not ordering a starter,’ the customer explained, visibly indignant.
They then asked the waiter about this ‘extra’: ‘He didn’t understand Spanish and called another colleague. She told us that maybe the two euros were because there were two of us or that it could be VAT’. But the diners had already done their calculations and the numbers didn’t add up. Finally, the employee decided to refund the amount: ‘She brought us the two euros and apologised. She said that as she didn’t really know what it was for and her boss wasn’t there, she preferred to give us the money’.
Although they managed to get their money back, the Mallorcan regrets that such practices are carried out: “I got the feeling that it was a case of ‘if you can get away with it, you get away with it’. They even charge you for not ordering a starter’. It should be noted that the restaurant’s menu makes no mention of this extra charge and, even if it did, it would not be legal.
‘It is not legal to charge for not ordering a starter, unless it is served as part of a set menu or price that includes an appetiser. If the starter has not been requested and is not included in a predetermined offer, the restaurant cannot charge for it,’ says the Organisation of Consumers and Users.
It is also not legal to charge a supplement for “cover” or “service”, unless there is a specific regional regulation that allows it. If you encounter any of these bad practices, bars and restaurants must have complaint forms available for customers to record their complaints: this complaint will initiate an administrative procedure that may culminate in an inspection of the premises and its conditions. In any case, it is necessary to always keep evidence of the problem (photos, price list, etc.), as well as the receipt, without which you will not be able to make a claim.